George Kiernan came into the Navy men's basketball team with the ability to make perimeter jump shots. However, the freshman forward quickly realized that was not the only skill needed to earn playing time at the Division I level.

Kiernan arrived in Annapolis for plebe summer weighing around 200 pounds and was not very strong. The Illinois native needed considerable work on the defensive end and had to become a better ballhandler.

Head coach Ed DeChellis saw considerable potential in Kiernan and believed he would benefit from playing for what has been dubbed the "Navy Basketball Development Team." That is a euphemism for junior varsity and gives freshmen and sophomores an opportunity to improve while playing games against junior colleges and prep schools.

"George could always shoot the basketball. It was more about competing in the post, fighting for rebounds, knowing what to do defensively," DeChellis said. "I think he's improved in all those areas and playing for the development team helped."

After appearing in just two varsity games a year ago, Kiernan has emerged as a key contributor for Navy. The 6-foot-7 sophomore stands second on the squad in scoring with nine points per game and is the leading 3-point shooter in terms of percentage (35.8).

"You like to see players make that jump from their freshmen to their sophomore years, and George has certainly done that," DeChellis said. "We were counting on George to make significant improvement. He's gotten an opportunity and has taken advantage of it. He's had some good moments in games so far."

Kiernan routinely practiced with the varsity as a plebe, but wound up playing a total of five minutes in two contests. However, the Hinsdale Central High product impressed the coaching staff with the way he performed for the development team.

"I needed last year to mature and get ready for college basketball. The game is so much more physical, so much faster," Kiernan said. "Playing in JV games really helped me prepare for the intensity and speed you see at this level."

One advantage of junior varsity games is that young players aren't under as much pressure. Out of the spotlight of fans and media, mistakes are not magnified as much. Players can work on their weaknesses without worrying about being yanked out of the game.

"I think the development games give you an opportunity to play against people other than your teammates. Any competition against an outside opponent is a chance to grow and develop," Kiernan said. "There are a lot of good things to take away from that experience."

Kiernan spent considerable time during the offseason working with Joe Fondale, the strength and conditioning coordinator for men's basketball. He added 25 pounds and considerable muscle.

"Being bigger and stronger helps you so much on defense and with rebounding," Kiernan said. "I'm not getting pushed around in the post as much as I had been."

DeChellis saw during preseason practice that Kiernan was capable of contributing and was disappointed when an ankle injury caused him to miss two weeks. The 6-foot-7, 225-pounder was not available for the opener against Ohio State in the Veterans Classic and also sat out a home game against Washington College.

Kiernan saw his first significant action against High Point and scored 11 points on the strength of three 3-pointers.

"It's definitely a lot different on varsity. Everything is just so much more serious," Kiernan said. "I remember the first three I took against High Point was a bank shot. I was a little nervous, but seeing that shot go in settled me down."

Kiernan has reached double figures in seven of 15 games and established a career-high with 16 points at Holy Cross. He has made 19 of 53 shots from beyond the arc, a high percentage for a power forward.

"I'm a four man that can shoot the ball. That's my strength," Kiernan said. "I appeciate the coaching staff for giving me the confidence to take open threes and I have to credit my teammates for creating those shots."

Kiernan's perimeter shooting ability draws opposing power forwards away from the basket and spreads the floor. "George can make baskets, and it really helps us because it stretches the defense," DeChellis said.

DeChellis was impressed to see Kiernan drive the ball to the basket a couple times in recent games, getting all the way to the rim for a layup against Holy Cross and drawing a defender then dishing to a teammate versus Bucknell.

"What really surprised us was that he's put the ball on the floor a little better than I thought he would do at this point in time," DeChellis said. "We told George: Now you're on the scouting report. Teams are going to run you off the line because they know you can shoot threes. You need to be able to shot fake and drive the ball. He's made a couple nice moves that showed he could do just that."

Kiernan, who played summer ball for the Chicago LockDown, was spotted at an Amateur Athletic Union tournament by Navy assistant Jon Perry. He took an official recruiting visit to the Naval Academy along with Hasan Abdullah and Ryan Pearson with all three players committing to the program shortly thereafter.

Now that group of sophomores are all playing key roles with Abdullah the starting point guard and Pearson earning playing time off the bench. Abdullah missed most of his freshman season with a hip injury.

Kiernan knows he must continue to get stronger in order to be a more effective rebounder. He cites perimeter defense as a priroty for improvement and looks to junior forward Tom Lacey as an example for how to play.

"I'm learning a lot from Tom Lacey about how hard to compete. I need to learn how to use my body and play relentless like he does," Kiernan said.

DeChellis believes Kiernan can take another giant leap next season if he continues to get stronger. "It all starts up there in the weight room for George. He needs to tighten up his core and become a faster guy, a more explosive guy," DeChellis said.